Mazong.
"Have you noticed anything strange about the Zhang family lately?"
Several middle-aged women whispered to each other in front of an ordinary residential building, watching a woman hurry past.
"Who hasn't?"
The woman ignored their gossip and quickened her pace home. Pulling out her key, she unlocked the door and called out, "Honey, I'm back!"
As her voice rang out, two male figures emerged from inside.
Strangely, despite being father and son, they appeared almost identical in age.
The couple seemed oblivious to anything amiss.
The man wearing glasses smiled faintly, watching his "son" embrace his wife without any discomfort. "Welcome back. I've made dinner."
The woman let out a breath. "Thank you. Let me wash my hands first."
Just then, a buzzing sound echoed through the apartment.
"Buzz!"
The young man with an unsettling face curled his lips slightly, released the woman, and pulled a communication device from his pocket.
Seeing the caller's name displayed on the screen, he casually snapped his fingers.
The couple froze mid-motion.
Picking up the phone, he asked bluntly, "What's up, old man?"
An elderly voice rang out from the other end. "Pack up and return to Beijing. We've got a clue about that brat's whereabouts."
Annoyance crossed the man's face. "Didn't you tell me to wait for him in Mazong? Why are you asking me to go back now?"
The old man replied calmly, "I've heard from my people over the past few days that he's been using points to redeem materials in cities around Gaza Town. Now I think he's hiding with his senior brother. You won't be able to wait for him in Mazong. Return to Beijing as soon as possible. That's all."
The man opened his mouth, unsure what to say, staring at the device as the call ended.
After a long pause, he muttered angrily, "These old geezers are really good at ordering people around."
With a silent sigh, he turned to look at the couple, who remained frozen in place.
"Snap."
With the crisp snap of his fingers, the man and woman instantly regained consciousness. The agonizing memories of the past few days flooded back into their minds.
"Hey, I have to thank you for these past few days. I had quite a good time," the young man said pleasantly.
Seeing the couple turn their heads stiffly to look at him, he scratched his face. "But in your next life, remember not to be such good people. Don't bring every homeless person into your home."
"In return, I'll let you die quickly."
"And remember to be reborn as someone like me."
With these words, the couple felt their bodies moving uncontrollably toward the balcony.
A moment later, two dull thuds echoed from below, followed by several screams filled with terror throughout the complex.
After staying at Jacob's residence for several days, Azrael finally received the message from "Loving Family."
[Lucian: I'm back. Sorry to have worried you.]
[Corey: Long time no see, teacher. How are things in Antarctica?]
[Lucian: Not very good, but with India and America's Sovereign-level Lore Cardian Edley watching over it, there shouldn't be any problems for a while.]
[Corey: Teacher, you've worked hard.]
After watching his third senior brother and his teacher chat for a while, Azrael opted for a private message.
[Azrael: Teacher, where should I find you now?]
[Lucian: I'm in Pixar now. Come find me directly.]
[Lucian: Is it about Lioren?]
Azrael was stunned. "Master Tempest and Master Kaiser didn't tell my teacher?"
He had assumed the two Sovereign-level Lore Cardians would have directly informed their teacher about his membership in the Crimson Oath Society. But it seemed they hadn't.
Azrael simply typed out two words.
[Azrael: More than that.]
[Lucian: I'll wait for you.]
Seeing his teacher's reply, he couldn't help but feel a headache coming on. "With my senior sister there, nothing should go wrong, right?"
But whether he faced it now or later, the outcome would be the same. Continuing to drag it out would do him no good.
After briefly calming himself down, he sent a message to his senior brother to let him know he was leaving, then prepared to return to Pixar.
Seeing that Jacob hadn't replied, Azrael didn't mind. He thought his senior brother was probably busy with other matters, otherwise he would have had time to respond to the group chat.
Then he set out on his return journey. There was still considerable distance between Gaza Town and Pixar.
Fortunately, he wasn't in a hurry and could sit comfortably while the Shadowkhan carried him slowly forward.
Just as Azrael was thinking about how to explain things to his teacher, a powerful sense of threat suddenly washed over him, making him feel like he'd fallen into an ice cave.
"Draw the sword with blazing fire!"
Without the slightest hesitation, he instantly drew the holy sword from his belt.
BOOM,
The next moment, a terrifying gully appeared in the ground, and scattered debris flew in all directions.
Azrael was blasted away like a cannonball.
After tumbling across the ground for some distance, he finally regained his balance. "Ahem."
"Thank goodness I've developed the same good habits as General Russ."
Ever since the Saber Belt had been crafted, he'd grown accustomed to wearing it in unsafe environments.
After all, the lesson of a certain Emperor Armor user was still fresh in his mind.
"But that attack just now..."
"Diamond level?"
Azrael's expression darkened at the thought.
If it weren't for Artoria's advancement to Emerald level, allowing him to transform into a knockoff Flying Dragon Arthur, that attack would have been enough to leave him seriously injured or worse.
As he pondered this, figures materialized around him in protective formation.
Facing a formidable enemy at Diamond level at minimum, Azrael had no intention of holding back any trump cards.
"Huh?" Just then, a slightly surprised voice echoed in his ear. "He's not dead yet?"
As the voice faded, a young man slowly appeared before Azrael's eyes.
Sensing the man's aura, Azrael's heart sank. If he'd harbored any doubts before, now they were confirmed.
"It's definitely Diamond level."
Seeing that the man didn't seem in a hurry to attack again, he asked, "I don't know you, sir. Why such a ruthless greeting?"
Azrael knew in his heart that this man was an assassin sent by the imperial court.
He asked this simply to buy time. After all, a Diamond-level battle would make considerable noise, and the surrounding cities would definitely notice.
Hearing his question, the man scratched his head. "Although I wanted to say I'm from the Demon Army or the Crimson Oath Society, I believe you already know who sent me, right?"
"My name is Hanzu. You can call me Azu."
"And..."
"Goodbye."
As Hanzu finished speaking, a dark beam of energy, far more powerful than before, suddenly struck toward Azrael.
But this time, Azrael wasn't unprepared.
The stern, brown-haired man stepped forward and blocked for him. "Bakudō #81: Dankū."
A transparent barrier appeared, intercepting the attack.
CRACK,
A crisp shattering sound echoed, and Dankū, after only a moment's resistance, dissipated.
After all, it was merely the product of rapid chanting; it wasn't practical to use it against a Diamond-level attack for long.
But it was enough, Azrael had already moved to a safe area.
Simultaneously, two terrifying waves of spiritual pressure rose from the ground, and in an instant, Ulquiorra and Nel completed their Resurrección.
The next moment, two figures, one black and one green, appeared beside Hanzu, while a vast, pale palace materialized behind them.
Facing their onslaught, Hanzu clearly couldn't afford to hold back. But just as he was about to summon a new card, his mind went blank.
Azrael now had his answer about whether [Void] could affect Diamond-level beings.
The answer was yes.
But the confusion faded quickly.
Ultimately, [Void] relied on the influence of the Emerald-level [Las Noches] and couldn't increase its strength through the accumulation of countless traits like Ulquiorra could.
Hanzu's expression remained neutral as he felt the sting of howling wind on his face. Then, a new figure appeared beside him.
WHOOSH!
Blazing lightning surged recklessly in all directions, its terrifying heat carving crimson scars across the earth. The air suddenly filled with the acrid smell of ionized particles.
"Thor?" Azrael frowned slightly at the sight. He sensed divine power in the opponent's newly summoned card. "I just don't know which mythology it's from."
He sighed softly, noting the opponent's resilience.
However, Ulquiorra and Nel suffered minimal damage from the Diamond-level card's counterattack.
Seeing this, Hanzu couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. "I'm genuinely surprised."
"You've hidden so much."
His gaze swept over Aizen and Yoriichi.
Adding the previously revealed location card, the opponent had three more cards than intelligence had predicted.
And judging by the aura he'd sensed, their quality was exceptional.
Especially the two cards that had just attacked him.
[Resurrección] + [King of Perfection] + [No. 3]/[No. 4] + [Lord of Las Noches] + [King] + [Shinigami and Hollow].
These were the traits now stacked upon Ulquiorra and Nel.
Under these layers of influence, their power had skyrocketed to a terrifying level.
"And they're all cards from the same series! This guy is truly a formidable prospect."
Looking at Unohana Retsu and Yoriichi Tsugikuni, both clad in haori, and recalling the nearly identical white uniforms worn by Ulquiorra, Nel, and Aizen, Hanzu felt genuine alarm.
"I see. No wonder I was told to be careful."
Though wary, he continued, "Those old men probably didn't expect you to be so well hidden. Otherwise, they would have sent me out long ago."
In this situation, the enemy could barely be considered a Diamond-level Lore Cardian in terms of combat power.
No wonder the Emerald-levels they'd sent earlier had been so vulnerable, after all, they were unlikely to win.
"In that case, I won't hold back either."
With that declaration, two more figures instantly appeared beside him.
Though wary internally, he wouldn't show it easily, as that would only intensify the enemy's resistance.
Seeing this, Azrael's expression darkened. "Four Diamond-level cards?"
"But there's still a chance."
Without hesitation, as the shadow of a massive circular building flashed behind Yoriichi, the haori-clad swordsman's aura suddenly surged.
After the events in Jeju City, the souls stored in the Soul's Resting Place had long been replenished.
Feeling the power within him, Yoriichi breathed deeply and immediately drew his Zanpakutō.
"Bankai! Burning Hell Crimson Lotus Amaterasu!"
Terrifying spiritual pressure roared forth, and crimson flames mingled with golden light engulfed everything around them.
True to the name of the blade, the crimson lotus burns away sin, and here falls the sigh of Amaterasu.
Facing the oncoming flames, Hanzu remained expressionless while a card beside him began to glow with pure white light.
Everything caught in the flames melted like ice and snow, gradually dissipating into the air.
A moment later, a massive golden-red sun hovered behind Yoriichi, and in his hand, he grasped a longsword constructed entirely of flames.
At this sight, Hanzu, who had maintained his composure throughout, narrowed his eyes. "Just the aftermath?"
"And the sun? A Shinigami?"
"What kind of bizarre construction is this?!"
As a Diamond-level Lore Cardian, he could clearly discern the opponent's aura.
What troubled him most was that after the opponent's card changed forms, its strength suddenly soared to average Diamond level.
The balance of power in the field had shifted. Under the strange methods of the young man before him, Hanzu felt his advantage as a Diamond-level Lore Cardian gradually disappearing.
Before arriving, he'd thought he could crush the opponent like an ant.
The root of the problem lay in those cards that could change their forms.
Thinking of this, Hanzu glanced at Aizen and Unohana Retsu. "I wonder what their abilities are."
Since they were all cards from the same series, those two could definitely be released as well.
After a moment of silence, he couldn't help but ask, "What kind of mythology is this? Why have I never seen it before?"
However, after hearing his question, Azrael grinned. "Bleach! Boy!"
"Bleach?"
Upon hearing this, Hanzu couldn't help but silently repeat this strange name in his mind.
Forgive him, but in recent years, besides his... hobbies, his only pastime was studying mythological texts.
But no matter how hard he searched his memory, he couldn't match any mythological system with the name mentioned by the young man.
His face darkened. "If you don't want to say it, then don't. There's no need to mock me."
Although there was the possibility of self-created cards, he didn't think what he saw before him could be achieved through self-creation alone.
"Forget it."
"Why should I waste words with a dead man?"
Though the current situation was somewhat beyond Hanzu's expectations, he didn't believe he would lose.
"I'm not like those Emerald-level trash!"